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Christian Donald Laettner (/ˈleɪtnər/,LAYT-nər; born August 17, 1969) is an American former professionalbasketball player. His college career for theDuke Blue Devils is widely regarded as one of the best inNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) history.[a] He was the star player on the back-to-back DukeNational Championship teams of1991 and1992, and theNCAA player of the year in his senior year.[2] He is particularly famous forhis game-winning shot againstKentucky in the1992 tournament and for the hatred he received from opposing fans.
Laettner was the only collegian selected for the1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, dubbed the "Dream Team", that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. As a member of the "Dream Team", Laettner is enshrined in theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame,U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, andFIBA Hall of Fame, while he is enshrined for his individual career in theCollege Basketball Hall of Fame. He was drafted third overall by theMinnesota Timberwolves, then played 13 seasons in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) for six teams, being named as anAll-Star in 1997.
Christian Laettner was born and raised inAngola, New York, near Buffalo and Niagara Falls, to ablue-collarRoman Catholic family.[3] His father George, a newspaper press plant printer, was ofPolish descent and his grandparents spokePolish as their first language while his mother Bonnie was a teacher. Christian's older brother Christopher was a strong influence, often bullying young Christian, which helped instill a stern competitive drive.[4] Both boys also frequently worked as farm laborers to supplement their allowance.[3]
Laettner attended the privateNichols School. Although he received a financial aid package that paid a substantial part of his tuition, his family had to sacrifice to send him there and he also did janitorial work at the school to defray some of the cost.[b] During his career he scored over 2,000 points, breaking the school record set by teammateRon Torgalski,[5] and the team won two state titles and reached another semifinal.[3] He was the second player fromWestern New York to reach 2,000 points, falling short ofCurtis Aiken's total of 2,162 set five years earlier.[6] He was a much sought-after college recruit.[c]
In 2009 asThe Buffalo News celebrated 50 years of All-Western New York (WNY) basketball selections, Laettner, who was twice an All-WNY first team selection was named to the 1980s All-WNY first team along with Aiken,Gary Bossert, Keith Robinson and Ritchie Campbell[7] He was a first team selection for the All-time All-WNY team along with Aiken,Paul Harris,Bob Lanier and Mel Montgomery.[8][9]
Laettner attendedDuke University and played for thebasketball team from 1988 to 1992 under coachMike Krzyzewski. As the team's star player his final two seasons, he led the Blue Devils to the first twonational titles in school history.[d] A four-year starter, he also contributed to their runner-up finish his sophomore year and Final Four appearance in his freshman year.[e] Thus, in total, he played 23 out of a maximum possible 24NCAA tournament games, winning 21; both are records.
For his career, Laettner averaged 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while making almost half of histhree-pointers.[10] He scored 21.5 points per game his senior season, garneringevery major national player of the year award; Duke retired his No. 32 jersey later that year.[11] His career is widely regarded as among the best in college history,[a] and he is enshrined in theNational Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.[2]
Laettner had several clutch performances in the NCAA tournament.[4] His most famous was the1992 regional final againstKentucky, which was foreshadowed by the1990 regional final againstUConn; in both games Duke trailed by one point with two seconds remaining in overtime before Laettner made ajumper as time expired. He also swished the game-winning free throws against undefeated and heavily favoredUNLV in the1991 semifinal, which avenged UNLV's 30-point victory in the 1990 final. He then led Duke to its first championship, defeatingKansas in the final, and was selected as the tournament'smost outstanding player.
In the 1992 East Regional Final, a game many critics rate among the greatest in college basketball history, Laettner hit a game-winning,buzzer-beating turn-around jumper that has since become known as simplyThe Shot.[4][13][14] Over the course of the game, he shot a perfect ten of tenfield goals and ten of tenfree throws for 31 points. He then finished his college career by leading Duke to its second consecutive national title. The following yearESPN awarded him both "Outstanding Performance Under Pressure" and "College Basketball Play of the Year" for the Kentucky game, also awarding him "Outstanding College Basketball Performer of the Year".[15]
The game-winning shot against Kentucky became acultural icon, having been frequently televised in college basketball montages. Several companies have also featured it in theircommercials.[f] In 2006The Best Damn Sports Show Period ranked it the fifth most memorable moment in sports history.[16]
Laettner was widely reviled by opposing fans throughout his career, to the extent that more than 20 years after graduating from Duke, he was voted the most hated college basketball player in history in anESPN online poll.[17] This led to ESPN's creation of the30 for 30 documentaryI Hate Christian Laettner that explored five factors that the filmmakers believe explain this widespread and persistent hatred: race, privilege, bullying, greatness, and physical appearance.[4] He was particularly resented for stepping on the chest of Kentucky playerAminu Timberlake during the 1992 regional final, which the referees deemed atechnical foul; Laettner expressed regret for his misconduct but believed that ejection would have been too harsh a consequence.[18]
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Selected third overall in1992 NBA draft by theMinnesota Timberwolves,[g] Laettner played 13 years in theNBA, from 1992 to 2005, scoring 11,121 points and grabbing 5,806 rebounds.[10] His first six seasons were his best, averaging 16.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while starting almost all of them. He also was selected to the All-Rookie First Team in 1993 and the All-Star Game in 1997 while with theAtlanta Hawks, having been traded to Atlanta in 1996 alongsideSean Rooks in exchange forSpud Webb andAndrew Lang. His time on the Hawks was his most successful NBA team experience, twice reaching the second round of the playoffs.[10]
Despite his achievements, Laettner's NBA career was characterized by relative transience.[4] He played for six different teams, was traded six times, and never spent more than four full seasons anywhere.[10] In 2004, he was suspended for several games for usingmarijuana.[19]
As the national player of the year, Laettner was the only collegian selected for the prestigious"Dream Team" that won the 1992 Olympic gold medal in a dominant fashion. He averaged 4.8 points per game.[20] The team is considered one of the greatest in sports history[21] and was inducted into theU.S. Olympic Hall of Fame,FIBA Hall of Fame, and theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[22]
Laettner maintains a close friendship with Duke teammateBrian Davis.[4] They have pursued several business ventures together, including real-estate development inDurham,[23] aMajor League Soccer team,[24] and an unsuccessful attempt to purchase theMemphis Grizzlies.[25] Some legal problems, primarily regarding unpaid debts, have also occurred.[26] In 2010, Laettner was enshrined in theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the1992 Dream Team. Laettner is the only player of the team who has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame individually.
Since 2011 he has operated numerous youth basketball training camps.[27] He also played one season in asemi-pro league[28] and briefly served as an assistant coach in theNBA Development League.[29] ForThe Z Team, anOlympic Channel reality show that has former Olympic athletes help struggling sports teams, he worked with theGaringer High School boys basketball team for a week.[30]
Laettner lives inPonte Vedra Beach, Florida, and is an avidmuskellunge fisherman.[31][32][33]
He is divorced with three children.[34]
He has donated large sums to hisalma maters.[h]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | Minnesota | 81 | 81 | 34.9 | .474 | .100 | .835 | 8.7 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 18.2 |
| 1993–94 | Minnesota | 70 | 67 | 34.7 | .448 | .240 | .783 | 8.6 | 4.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 16.8 |
| 1994–95 | Minnesota | 81 | 80 | 34.2 | .489 | .325 | .818 | 7.6 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 16.3 |
| 1995–96 | Minnesota | 44 | 44 | 34.5 | .486 | .290 | .816 | 6.9 | 2.9 | .9 | 1.0 | 18.0 |
| 1995–96 | Atlanta | 30 | 27 | 32.6 | .489 | .000 | .823 | 7.9 | 2.3 | 1.0 | .9 | 14.2 |
| 1996–97 | Atlanta | 82 | 82* | 38.3 | .486 | .352 | .816 | 8.8 | 2.7 | 1.2 | .8 | 18.1 |
| 1997–98 | Atlanta | 74 | 49 | 30.8 | .485 | .222 | .864 | 6.6 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 13.8 |
| 1998–99 | Detroit | 16 | 0 | 21.1 | .358 | .333 | .772 | 3.4 | 1.5 | .9 | .8 | 7.6 |
| 1999–00 | Detroit | 82 | 82* | 29.8 | .473 | .292 | .812 | 6.7 | 2.3 | 1.0 | .5 | 12.2 |
| 2000–01 | Dallas | 53 | 35 | 17.5 | .511 | .333 | .817 | 4.0 | 1.3 | .8 | .5 | 7.5 |
| 2000–01 | Washington | 25 | 13 | 29.3 | .491 | .300 | .844 | 6.1 | 2.3 | 1.2 | .8 | 13.2 |
| 2001–02 | Washington | 57 | 48 | 25.3 | .464 | .200 | .868 | 5.3 | 2.6 | 1.1 | .4 | 7.1 |
| 2002–03 | Washington | 76 | 66 | 29.1 | .494 | .125 | .833 | 6.6 | 3.1 | 1.1 | .5 | 8.3 |
| 2003–04 | Washington | 48 | 18 | 20.5 | .465 | .286 | .800 | 4.8 | 1.9 | .8 | .6 | 5.9 |
| 2004–05 | Miami | 49 | 0 | 15.1 | .582 | .143 | .763 | 2.7 | .8 | .7 | .3 | 5.3 |
| Career | 868 | 692 | 29.7 | .480 | .261 | .820 | 6.7 | 2.6 | 1.1 | .8 | 12.8 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 0 | 24.0 | .600 | — | 1.000 | 11.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 7.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Atlanta | 10 | 10 | 33.4 | .484 | .333 | .704 | 6.9 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 15.7 |
| 1997 | Atlanta | 10 | 10 | 40.3 | .418 | .190 | .857 | 7.2 | 2.6 | 1.0 | .8 | 17.6 |
| 1998 | Atlanta | 4 | 0 | 21.8 | .343 | .000 | .882 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 1.5 | .3 | 9.8 |
| 1999 | Detroit | 5 | 0 | 24.6 | .426 | — | .786 | 2.8 | 2.2 | .8 | .2 | 10.2 |
| 2000 | Detroit | 3 | 3 | 25.0 | .412 | — | .750 | 5.0 | 2.0 | .0 | .3 | 6.7 |
| 2005 | Miami | 13 | 0 | 10.5 | .500 | .000 | .833 | 1.9 | .5 | .3 | .0 | 2.2 |
| Career | 45 | 23 | 25.7 | .432 | .179 | .794 | 4.7 | 1.5 | .8 | .5 | 10.5 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988–89 | Duke | 36 | 16 | 16.9 | .723 | 1.000 | .727 | 4.7 | 1.2 | 1.0 | .8 | 8.9 |
| 1989–90 | Duke | 38 | 38 | 29.9 | .511 | .500 | .836 | 9.6 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 16.3 |
| 1990–91 | Duke | 39 | 39 | 30.2 | .575 | .340 | .802 | 8.7 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 19.8 |
| 1991–92 | Duke | 35 | 35 | 32.2 | .575 | .557 | .815 | 7.9 | 2.0 | 2.1 | .9 | 21.5 |
| Career | 148 | 128 | 27.4 | .574 | .485 | .806 | 7.8 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 16.6 | |
We read your e-mails and your blog comments, took all your suggestions and observations under advisement.
First team Curtis Aiken, Bennett 1981-82, '82-83 Paul Harris, Niagara Falls, 2003-04, '04-05 Christian Laettner, Nichols 1986-87, '87-88 Bob Lanier, Bennett 1965-66 Mel Montgomery, Kensington 1969-70, '70-71
Our staff has been banging under the boards for more than a month, picking our all-decade teams as we built toward this point, the final shot of our celebration of the 50th anniversary of All-WNY basketball. . .There were letters, e-mails, voice mails, blog comments and phone calls. There were opinions from coaches, teammates, fathers, brothers, sons and of course fans.
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